WING'S BLOODLINE PUTS HIM IN DRIVER'S SEAT

It's no surprise Ted Wing has excelled in harness racing. His father Morris trains and drives horses in his home state of Maine, and his grandfather Harold drove in local fairs before 1900.

"I was one of those kids who hung around the barn," said Wing. "{Harness racing} is all I ever wanted to do."

He drove his first horse when he was 16 and has won nearly 3,500 races, which puts him in the top 25 all-time. He also ranks in the top 20 with purse earnings of more than $20 million.

Part owner of 15 standardbreds, Wing, 38, drives at the Meadowlands in New Jersey during the week, which, he said, "is very tough on a horse" because of the competition wrought by rich purses. On weekends, Wing goes to Freestate Raceway in Laurel, where he says there is "a good stakes program for 2-year-olds."

One of those stakes is tonight's $500,100 Potomac, in which Wing will drive Big Eyes, owned by the No I Won't Stable and trained by Henry Molinari.

Forty-nine 2-year-old pacing colts will compete in six divisions. Five eight-horse divisions carry a purse of $83,100, and one nine-horse division is worth $84,600.

Colts to watch include Barstow Hanover, driven and trained by Doug Snyder, and Pied Piper, trained by Stanley Dancer and driven by Clinton Warrington Jr. Those two and Big Eyes won divisions of the Hanover Colt Stakes last week, making them eligible for a $50,000 bonus if they win a Potomac division. The bonus is split if more than one of the colts win tonight.

Wing drove Big Eyes to a 1:55 3/5 victory at Freestate this year. That made Big Eyes the fastest 2-year-old in Freestate history and the fastest colt in the nation in 1987.

In the Hanover Stakes last Saturday, Wing had a tight hold on Big Eyes, who set fast fractions and pulled away in the stretch. At that point, Wing tucked his whip under his right arm as they crossed the finish line in 1:55 4/5.